COLUMBIA (WACH) - Spring has officially sprung, which means allergy season is sweeping across the Midlands and keeping local allergy specialists busy.
Pollen is covering cars and sidewalks as it falls in the Midlands, but those who suffer from allergies should be worried about what they don't see.
"It's really the ones you don't see as much; oak pollen and hickory tree or elm tree. Those are the ones that are airborn longer and you tend to breath in your nose more. Those are the ones that truly cause the allergic disease," said Dr. David Amrol, a University of South Carolina professor and allergist.
Amrol advises that if symptoms are affecting your everyday life you should visit a doctor.
Dr. Ty Coleman and Allergy Partners of the Midlands usually see approximately 300 patients a month. That number fluctuates during pollen season as the practice works to squeeze more patients in.
Coleman says that patients who mainly suffer from tree pollen allergies will be severely affected by the high levels of tree pollen floating around in the air outdoors.
"This yellow powder that you see on your car is not causing the itching and the sneezing, it's just a warning of what else is to come," said Amrol.
Experts say nasal sprays are the best way to relieve seasonal allergies, however if that doesn't work a trip to an allergist may be the next step to help you battle the blooming trees and enjoy the spring.
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